Ramaphosa urges parties to put communities before municipal alliances
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on O País
President Cyril Ramaphosa calls on parties to put communities’ interests at the heart of coalition talks after the municipal elections. He warns that essential services must not be held hostage, as elected councils must meet within 14 days of the results being declared, according to O País.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday urged political parties to put the interests of communities ahead of their own calculations in municipal coalition negotiations. “The people have spoken. Their verdict must be respected,” he said.
Elected councils must hold their first meeting within 14 days of the official declaration of results. The African National Congress (ANC), in power since the end of apartheid, won 30.76% of the vote, its worst result, according to the Electoral Commission. In the country’s eight major cities, only Cape Town did not go to negotiations, as the Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party, won an outright majority there.
